Sportsman Questions Trapping Ban

The head of the Carbon County Sportsmen's Association queried the county commissioners at their meeting this week on why animal trapping is no longer allowed at Mauch Chunk Lake Park.

Robert Zovak of Jim Thorpe, president of the sportsmen's group, said he was not aware that trapping was stopped at the lake park about 1 1/2 years ago until a man approached him at a recent meeting of the county sportsmen in the Summit Hill Rod and Gun Club.

Zovak asked, "Do you as commissioners regulate what goes on at the lake park, or do you get notes on changes in the operating procedure?"

Commissioners Chairman Albert U. Koch told Zovak that the Carbon County Recreation Authority makes the rules and regulations at the park and lake. "The commissioners have no authority to tell them what to do," Koch said.

Zovak said that although the ban on trapping only affects about five people, they were keeping the animal population down at the park.

He added, "I have not heard of any animal spreading rabies, and I have not heard of any incidents where persons or their private animals became caught in a trap."

The commissioners advised Zovak to attend the next meeting of the Recreation Authority.

The commissioners awarded contracts for rehabilitating six Carbon County homes. Successful bidders and the amounts of their contracts for renovating the homes were: